PSS ID Number: 250978
Article Last Modified on 11/14/2003
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
This article was previously published under Q250978
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
SYMPTOMS
Windows 2000-based member servers and domain controllers that join an existing File Replication service (FRS) replica set may never be fully synchronized. FRS replica sets include newly promoted Windows 2000-based domain controllers that source the system volume (Sysvol), containing Windows 2000 policies or Distributed File System-replicated root and child nodes. Not fully sourcing Sysvol prevents the creation of the Sysvol share; the promoted computer does not become a fully functioning domain controller in the domain.
CAUSE
Internal file IDs that are used by FRS must be unique for each file in a replica set. FRS may create duplicate file IDs when it is running on high-performance computers, preventing Sysvol or replicated Distributed File System (DFS) content from completing a full synchronization process.
When you add a new member to a Sysvol or DFS replica, FRS initializes the FRS database on the new member with the state of an existing member (a replica parent or upstream partner). This includes sending "tombstones" for previously deleted files, so that all members can reconcile the history of changes that occurred over the lifetime of the replica set.
To create the tombstone entry in the FRS database, FRS creates a unique value for the File ID index field. The version of FRS in the released version of Windows 2000 (build 2195) uses a 64-bit system time to compute this value. However, if two or more tombstones are processed in succession on a computer with a fast processor (or multiple fast processors), the system time may not have advanced, creating two or more change orders with duplicate file IDs. (The computed time is updated at each clock tick.)
If duplicate file IDs are assigned to more than one change request, the IDTable record for the second tombstone is not inserted, and the change order is not carried out. If this occurs with a folder, additional tombstones that arrive for children of the folder remain stuck in a continual retry loop, eventually causing replication to stop between the two members because the upstream member does not send any more change notifications until the backlog is cleared (eight outstanding files are allowed at any one time).
The following sample data from the Ntfrs_000x.log files in the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder demonstrate this issue:
16:21:37> :: CoG f06a2038, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 1, FID 00000000 00000000, FN: Policies , [Co Accepted - NewFile]
16:21:37> :: CoG 6c805ec5, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 0, FID 01bf4112 30dd11f8, FN: {6A468839-6906-4C4D-9C36-BD1D624D5CDD}, [Co Accepted - NewFile]
16:21:37> :: CoG 4131ada4, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 0, FID 01bf4112 30df744c, FN: {C76DD579-B054-42F7-B70E-D7B1E8DA0EBF}, [Co Accepted - NewFile]
16:21:37> :: CoG 8660f114, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 0, FID 01bf4112 30e438f4, FN: Adm , [Co Accepted - NewFile]
16:21:37> :: CoG b47a8960, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 0, FID 01bf4112 30e438f4, FN: GPT.INI , [Co Accepted - NewFile]
16:21:37> :: CoG eb5eafa0, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 0, FID 01bf4112 30e69b48, FN: Machine , [Co Accepted - NewFile]
16:21:37> :: CoG cb102d80, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 1, FID 01bf4112 30e8fd9c, FN: inetres.adm , [Co Accepted - NewFile]
16:21:37> :: CoG 4343bce9, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 1, FID 01bf4112 30eb5ff0, FN: system.adm , [Co Accepted - NewFile]
16:21:37> :: CoG 3f1c2faf, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 0, FID 01bf4112 30eb5ff0, FN: Microsoft , [Co Accepted - NewFile]
16:21:37> :: CoG 47ea31cf, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 0, FID 01bf4112 30edc244, FN: {E5D03AB1-38B9-11D3-9A63-00C04F93C1D2}, [Co Accepted - NewFile]
16:21:37> :: CoG ffb3992b, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 4, FID 01bf4112 30f286ec, FN: User , [Co Accepted - NewFile]
16:21:37> :: CoG 9c556524, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 3, FID 01bf4112 30f4e940, FN: Applications , [Co Accepted - NewFile]
16:21:37> :: CoG c226e350, CxtG 18311cc6, FV 4, FID 01bf4112 30f4e940, FN: Machine , [Co Accepted - NewFile]
The second occurrence of file IDs 30e438f4, 30eb5ff0, and 30f4e940 for change order requests CoG b47a8960, CoG 3f1c2faf, and CoG c226e350 are examples of duplicate file identifiers being assigned to new change orders.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
260910 How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack
Ideally, you should install this hotfix on Windows 2000 Server products before running Dcpromo or adding computers to DFS shares where FRS is replicating content. Microsoft recommends that you apply this fix to all new and existing Windows 2000-based domain controllers, and on Windows 2000-based computers that are participating in DFS replica sets where FRS replication is enabled.
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
For computers that you have added to Sysvol or DFS replica sets with the original Ntfrs.exe file in place, and have not fully replicated files and folders with no specific error messages listed in the File Replication Service event log:
- Set the BURFLAGS (REG_DWORD) value under the following registry key to D2:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NfFRS\Parameters\Backup/Restore\Process at Startup\
DomainName - Install Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 or the hotfix version of the Ntfrs.exe file.
- Reboot the server. Examine the event log for FRS events.
- Monitor the target folder for progress in replicating files by using a command prompt.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Microsoft Windows 2000. This problem was first corrected in Windows 2000 Service Pack 1.
MORE INFORMATION
For additional information about how to install Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 hotfixes at the same time, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
249149 Installing Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 Hotfixes
Additional query words: FRS NTFRS
Keywords: kbbug kbfix kbQFE kbWin2000SP1Fix KB250978
Technology: kbwin2000AdvServ kbwin2000AdvServSearch kbwin2000Pro kbwin2000ProSearch kbwin2000Search kbwin2000Serv kbwin2000ServSearch kbWinAdvServSearch
